This invention relates to apparatus for piercing ear lobes and, more particularly, to apparatus for piercing ear lobes and positioning ornaments in a single operation.
Ear lobe piercing devices have long been known. The early ear lobe piercers generally comprised two crossed members coupled at a pivot point similarly to a pair of pliers. A problem with the early ear lobe piercers was that too much time and pain was involved in the piercing operation. The ear lobe first had to be pierced and then an object, such as a surgical suture, passed through the freshly made canal to keep it from closing as it healed. In time, the surgical suture method of preventing closure of the canal came to be replaced by the utilization of a two piece ornamental device. One portion of the device, called a wire, included a narrow wire or rod generally pointed on one end and affixed to an enlarged area or a small stone or gem on the opposite end. The mating portion, called a nut, was releasably clamped to the pointed end. Different methods of clamping were used. Sometimes the nut and wire were threaded or an annular groove near the pointed end of the wire sometimes cooperated with a resilient member in the nut.
When the use of a two-piece wire ornament became a popular method of preventing closure of the canal, ear piercers were devised in which the wire fitted directly into one of the piercing jaws and the wire itself created the canal. These devices provided a substantial time saving. A wire was fitted into the jaw and passed through the ear lobe and then, following separation of the piercing apparatus and the wire, a nut was applied to the wire.
Sometimes it is desired to pierce the ears of several persons in a single session. Inasmuch as any repetitive job can become physically fatiguing, ear piercing devices to ease the job of the person doing the piercing were devised. For example, the energy stored in a previously stressed spring was used to perform the piercing operation more quickly and effortlessly than can a person utilizing one of the prior pliers type apparatus. Furthermore, there is less likely to be pain for the patient. However, a problem with the early ear piercing devices was that the designers were greatly influenced by the pre-existing pliers type piercers. Rather than providing completely new apparatus, the ear piercers designed were modifications of the pre-existing apparatus. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,751. Observation of the referenced patent makes evident the result of this fidelty to the prior art. For example, observation of FIG. 1 will show the complex system required to convert the squeezing of two handles in an arcuate manner to linear motion between two jaws. Such complex equipment gave rise to a substantial degree of friction. Consequently, devices such as that depicted in the referenced U.S. Patent were difficult to operate repeatedly and operator fatigue remained a problem.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a non-complex, reliable ear piercing apparatus that can be repeatedly operated without causing operator fatigue.